This invention is related generally to automated dispensing technology and, more specifically, to an improved method for bulk dispensing of medication including information used to control and track patient medication orders.
Automated dispensing of prescription medications, such as oral solid pills and liquid unit-of use ampules, is a well-known method of filling dosage-based prescriptions. Dosage-based prescriptions are filled in a way which organizes the medication into one or more dosage units by, for example, the time of day at which the medication is to be taken or the sequence in which the medication is to be taken. Dosage-based automated medication dispensing systems have particular utility in settings where large amounts of such prescription medications are required. Hospital formularies are ideal candidates for use of such dispensing systems. However, other businesses, such as mail order prescription filling services and pharmacies, can also use these systems.
Automated medication dispensing devices typically include one or more computer-controlled dispensing machines which store and dispense medications according to patient-specific prescription information. These automated medication dispensing devices offer many advantages. These advantages include the ability to store a broad range of prescription medications and the ability to fill patient prescriptions in a rapid and efficient manner. In addition, use of automated prescription filling equipment reduces the possibility of human error in filling patient prescriptions. Another advantage is that the cost savings from automated dispensing of medications can be used to employ more pharmacists and care givers who can provide personalized service to patients.
However, automated medication dispensing systems which attempt to dispense on a dosage unit basis have significant disadvantages. For example, certain dosage based systems are unable to fully utilize bulk medication dispensing technology. Bulk dispensing of medications involves the storage of pills or unit-of-use medications in bulk, for example in bins, magazines or canisters. The bulk-dispensed medications may be dispensed into containers according to patient-specific prescription information. As can be appreciated, bulk dispensing is most efficient when the medication is stored in a raw, non-prepackaged form since this permits great flexibility in the type of medications which can be dispensed and because the medications can be rapidly replenished in the bulk storage containers. Bulk dispensing becomes even more advantageous as the number and type of medications dispensed is expanded. For example, a hospital formulary is required to dispense dosage units of many different solid and liquid medications; an effective bulk dispensing system would be a particularly useful way to manage and control the distribution of such a diverse range of medications.
However, most prior art systems which provide dosage-based dispensing are required to store individual pills or medications in individual unit dosage packages and not in bulk. These separate unit dosage packages are stored within the dispensing device and must be separately retrieved to fill a patient""s order. This is disadvantageous because it is difficult to arrange, customize and/or mix the pills comprising the patient""s unit dosage. The process also requires time-consuming and expensive prepackaging of the medications to be dispensed. Such dosage-based systems are unable to realize the flexibility and cost savings benefits of bulk dispensing.
Another disadvantage of certain prior art dosage-based medication dispensing systems is that it is difficult to fully control and track the individual dosage units. The prepackaged dosage units used by these companies have preprinted information on the packages which is generic in nature and is not generated for the specific patient as the medication is dispensed. Such preprinted information might include National Drug Code (xe2x80x9cNDCxe2x80x9d) information and a code for the storage location of the dosage unit within the dispensing. This information is limited and leaves little room for application of more patient-specific information such as the patient""s name and other information which directly links the patient to the dosage unit. The Homerus system from Cardinal Health Care and the Robot Rx system from McKesson are representative dosage-based dispensers which include the foregoing disadvantages.
There are many potentially useful applications for the patient-specific information. For example, this information can be used at the completion of the filling process to verify that the correct medication has been supplied to the patient. The information could be used at the patient""s bedside to create a record of the medication taken by the patient including the type and quantity of medication taken and the time of day at which the medication was taken. Patient-specific information on the medication packages could even be used for purposes of billing.
It would be a significant improvement in the art to provide an automated method for dispensing bulk medications in dosage form with real-time-generated machine-readable code so that the medication could be associated with a specific patient.
It is an object of this invention to provide an improved automated method of dispensing bulk medications overcoming problems and shortcomings of the prior art.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved automated method of dispensing bulk medications with patient-specific machine-readable code affixed to the medication packaging.
It is also an object of this invention is to provide an improved automated method of dispensing bulk medications in which the machine-readable code affixed to the medication packaging can be used for many purposes including, without limitation, for verification that the order is correct and complete, for compliance with dosage protocols and for billing.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved automated method of dispensing bulk medications in which patient-specific machine-readable code is affixed to the medication packaging in real time as the medication is dispensed.
A further object of this invention is to provide an improved automated method of dispensing bulk medications in which the prescriptions can be filled rapidly and economically.
Yet another object is to provide an improved automated method of dispensing bulk medications which avoids costly and time-consuming prepackaging steps.
An additional object of this invention is to provide an improved automated method of dispensing bulk medications which can be used with a wide range of medications including oral solid medications and unit-of-use liquid medications and other types of unit-of-use products.
How these and other objects are accomplished will be apparent from the descriptions of this invention which follow.